The People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) campaigned in the run up to the June 12 Local Government Elections with the hope of making inroads in major opposition strongholds and they’ve managed to do just that.
In the aftermath of Monday’s polls, the governing party is set to control 66 of the 80 local authority areas across the country; included in this are seven of 10 towns.
Although the PPP/C failed to gain control of Georgetown, Linden and New Amsterdam, the General Secretary of the PPP/C Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo assured on Tuesday that the party will deliver on the promises made during the campaign to these areas.
In fact, Jagdeo said the PPP/C, as central government, will ensure it delivers on promises for infrastructural and other development along with social services to bring relief to people even in the 14 local authority areas to be controlled by the opposition APNU Coalition.
But Jagdeo fears pushback from the APNU on this front.
“We are realistic people, we campaigned to win every time, we wanted to win but we recognise how steep the climb is and we did a great job in scaling this big mountain.
“We scaled the steepest clift with a lot of people pulling against us by using the old message of racism,” Jagdeo told a press conference at Freedom House on Tuesday.
He said the governing PPP/C is hopeful for a better relationship with APNU even in areas where the PPP/C did not win.
“We know APNU, they might get right back to their same old method but we will try to forge a better relationship and if they don’t, we will work directly with communities.
“People deserve changes in their communities regardless of these people. We plan to change the city regardless of that. It becomes harder with a PNC-dominated city council and it will enormously affect us.
“In every corner of this country, all promises will be rolled out, some areas we can’t do because we promised to live stream if we are in control but they will never agree to that… definitely on the infrastructure side and bringing relief to residents of city we will do those things,” Jagdeo assured.
Although the PPP/C failed to gain control of the three towns that were historically controlled by the PNC led APNU, they have managed to secure the popular vote in Bartica and Madhia which were previously under the control of the opposition.
“If we had gotten half of the in roads we made into the city I would have been satisfied. It is still the biggest thing in history and we have made massive in roads.
“We would have loved to win the city outright but the reality is it was a huge task.
“We will work for all the people and continue to fulfill promises in the past and the ones we are making now in these local government elections,” Jagdeo added.
In New Amsterdam, the PPP/C will get six seats on the council while eight seats go to the APNU.
And in Georgetown, the PPP/C is projected to win five of the 15 constituencies, up from three in 2018.
Jagdeo said the numbers show that the PPP/C has “made phenomenal inroads in APNU strongholds.”
At 12, 256 votes, Jagdeo said almost 6, 000 more persons in Georgetown voted for the PPP/C including from the Sophia, Greater Georgetown area where in one constituency, four votes separate the PP/C and the APNU; the PPP/C has asked for a recount.
In Linden, the PPP/C is reporting a 512 per cent increase with 2, 462 votes up from 402 in 2018. That will give the party two seats while the APNU will get 14 seats/
In Bartica, the APNU fell from 1, 913 to 1, 601 while the PPP/C moved from 1,147 to 1,78
